24H Spa Reduced to 58-Car Entry

Photo: Brecht Decancq

Next weekend’s Total 24 Hours of Spa will see a reduced field of 58 entries, following a handful of withdrawals from the fourth round of the Blancpain Endurance Series.

Among the absences include the Lago Racing Lamborghini Gallardo R-EX, No. 49 AF Corse Ferrari 458 Italia GT3, Glorax Racing Ferrari, Motion Performance Aston Martin V12 Vantage GT3, Car Collection Motorsport Mercedes-Benz SLS AMG GT3 and all three of Attempto Racing’s McLarens.

ENTRY LIST: Pro Cup / Pro-Am & Am Cup

Bentley Team HTP has moved one of its Bentley Continental GT3 entries to the Pro-Am Cup class for drivers Max van Splunteren, Fabian Hamprecht and Louis Machiels, while the Rinaldi Racing Ferrari also moves from Pro Cup thanks to the addition of Bronze-rated driver Stef Vancampenhoudt.

The updated entry list, down from the original 66 entries, has also revealed a number of driver additions to the Belgian endurance classic.

Five-time DTM champion, and former race winner Bernd Schneider joins Oliver Morley, Sean Johnston and Maro Engel in the No. 18 Black Falcon Mercedes, while Andreas Simonsen completes the lineup in the team’s No. 29 entry.

Mads Rasmussen has been added to Insight Racing’s Ferrari as a third driver, while Ferrari factory driver Davide Rigon completes the lineup of the No. 51 AF Corse Ferrari alongside Matt Griffin, Duncan Cameron and Francisco Guedes, touted as one of the favorites for Pro-Am Cup class honors.

Andrea Piccini, meanwhile, joins the lineup in the No. 11 Kessel Racing Ferrari.

As previously revealed by Sportscar365, defending FIA WEC GTE-Pro champion Toni Vilander completes the lineup in the No. 52 AF Corse entry, with Michele Rugolo listed in the No. 53 car. Rui Aguas will drive the team’s No. 50 Ferrari, which will compete for Am Cup honors.

Christophe Bouchut has been added to the No. 70 GT Russian Team Mercedes alongside Alexey Karachev and a to-be-announced driver, while Alon Day and Lewis Plato complete the lineup in the team’s No. 71 car.

Despite some withdrawals and movements between the classes, a total of 25 cars are still listed in Pro Cup, with 22 Pro-Am Cup entries and 11 cars set to do battle in the Am Cup, making for one of the strongest fields in the history of the race.

“It is great to see that we have seven manufacturers giving factory support to one or more teams,” said SRO Motorsports Group founder and CEO Stephane Ratel. “That makes for more than a dozen of possible winners.

“And not only will the racing in Pro Cup be exciting, as the drivers and teams of the Pro-Am Cup and the Am Cup will do their best as well and I would not be surprised if a couple of those cars would be among the frontrunners overall come Sunday afternoon.

“We are obviously disappointed that a small number of our regular Blancpain Endurance Series Pro-Am and Am teams are absent at the Total 24 Hours of Spa, mostly because of circumstances out of their control.

“But that does not alter the fact that the Total 24 Hours of Spa is still the biggest GT race in the world, with a very impressive number of candidates for victory. This will be a classic.”

John Dagys

John Dagys is the founder and Editor-in-Chief of Sportscar365. Dagys spent eight years as a motorsports correspondent for FOXSports.com and SPEED Channel and has contributed to numerous other motorsports publications worldwide. Contact John